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Yemeni troops open fire on protesters

At least eight Yemeni protesters have been injured after troops loyal to Ali Abdullah Saleh opened fire on an anti-regime protest camp overnight in the capital Sana’a.

Medics said on Saturday that the shooting occurred in the capital city’s Change Square where thousands have camped out for nearly eight months, demanding an end to the Yemeni ruler’s 33-year reign, Reuters reported.

One of the injured is in critical condition, medics say.

Security forces, however, claimed that they did not open fire on protesters and only shot in the air to disperse demonstrators who were trying to expand the area of their protest.

Separately, residents in Sanaa’s al-Hasaba district reported hearing artillery fire as clashes broke out for the second time in three days between pro-opposition tribesmen and regime forces. No casualties were reported.

Anti-Saleh tribal leader Sadeq al-Ahmar is living in a neighborhood which saw heavy fighting in May.

Meanwhile, a fighting between rival military units left one dissident soldier dead and five wounded, witnesses and medics said on Saturday.

“Clashes broke out between soldiers from the Fourth Brigade (loyal to the regime) and the youths’ security committee backed by dissident troops from the First Armored Brigade” headed by General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, witnesses said.

“One soldier was killed and five members of the youths’ security committee were wounded,” said medics.

On Friday, millions of protesters took to the streets across Yemen, calling for an escalation of revolutionary activities.

According to local reports, hundreds of Yemenis have been killed and thousands more injured since the onset of the popular uprising against the US-backed Saleh regime.

Saleh, who has been in Saudi Arabia since June recovering from an assassination attempt, has so far refused calls to step down.

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